For the vast majority of the Baltimore Ravens’ training camp and preseason, the spotlight has fallen on first-round pick and former Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and the man he will eventually replace, Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco. Fans and media alike have spent untold hours pondering when and in what fashion Jackson will take the reins of the offense, creating a flashpoint that will come to define the next decade of the franchise.

But while Flacco vs. Jackson has commanded the imagination of observers around the league, another concern looms over the Ravens.

Two of the greatest players in franchise history — Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda — enter the twilight of their careers. Suggs, the dominant pass-rushing force behind some of Baltimore’s greatest defenses and a key figure in their championship run in 2012, enters his 16th NFL season and turns 36 in October. Yanda, one of the greatest offensive linemen of his generation, missed nearly all of last season with a shoulder injury and will celebrate his 34th birthday in September.

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For more than a decade, the Ravens have leaned on both as cornerstones of the defense and offense respectively. Though Suggs vowed to play “a few more years” and Yanda has one more year remaining on his contract, both could realistically retire after 2018. Even if they don’t, the end appears near for both of the future Hall of Famers. Even for a team as well run as Baltimore, replacing either represents a difficult task. As such, the Ravens have every reason to maximize the remaining years of their star pass rusher and stud offensive lineman, and those motivations could affect the team’s decisions elsewhere on the roster.

Historically, the NFL’s trade deadline hasn’t spurred much action. However, last year saw considerable action, with several star players changing teams. Those deals altered the landscape of the league, with Jay Ajayi contributing to the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl run and Jimmy Garoppolo establishing himself as the franchise quarterback for the up-and-coming San Francisco 49ers. Meanwhile, Duane Brown gave the Seattle Seahawks their first competent blindside protector in years while Marcell Dareus bolstered an already stout Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line.

With a limited window to compete with Suggs and Yanda, the Ravens should look to take advantage if a similarly robust trade market forms leading up to this year’s deadline. While the roster looks improved, weaknesses remain in the receiving corps and the middle of the defense. The front-office brain trust of Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta could find reinforcements before 4 p.m. ET on Oct. 30.

Perhaps most importantly, the Ravens’ limited time with Suggs and Yanda could affect when Jackson supplants Flacco as the starting quarterback. The Ravens infamously came within a fourth-and-12 conversion of returning to the playoffs last year, and the team filled several holes on the roster through the draft and free agency. In a division that division that features only one established power (the Pittsburgh Steelers) and a conference that lacks depth behind the top few squads, Baltimore has a chance to break through this season. As such, head coach John Harbaugh will have to consider more than merely the long-term impact of a quarterback change.

Should Flacco struggle this season, it makes sense for the Ravens to turn to their prized rookie signal-caller and jump-start his development and the franchise’s future. Jackson can learn and improve without playing, but nothing can truly replicate live regular-season snaps. If approached correctly, Jackson could take the necessary steps this year to turn 2019 from a de facto debut campaign into the type of springboard that produced huge sophomore seasons for Carson Wentz and Jared Goff.

Likewise, if Flacco rebounds well from his disappointing 2017 campaign, Harbaugh wouldn’t have enough cause to make a change under center. The veteran signal-caller still has the potential to carry Baltimore on a playoff run as he did in 2012. Looking towards the future, the Ravens could take advantage of a strong season from Flacco and look to deal him à la the Kansas City Chiefs’ trade of Alex Smith to Washington back in January.

However, any decision becomes more difficult should Flacco perform merely adequately and Jackson’s work in practice and whatever limited snaps he receives during games suggest competency and a command of the offense. In such a scenario, the risk of falling out of contention more or less balances any concerns of pushing Jackson onto the field prematurely. Harbaugh would have no obvious choice with both Baltimore’s present and future interests in jeopardy.

Any headline-grabbing trade or change at quarterback involves numerous short- and long-term considerations, a cocktail that can bewilder even the best franchises. Certainly, the Ravens have to balance all of these factors over the course of the season as they navigate potential deals as well as if and when Jackson replaces Flacco.

But with time running out on the careers of Suggs and Yanda, the Ravens have little choice but to take their shot now.

Jason B. Hirschhorn
Jason B. Hirschhorn

Jason B. Hirschhorn is an award-winning sports journalist and Pro Football Writers of America member. He has bylines at NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.

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